God’s own country. Forever?

A shocking incident that happened in Trivandrum caught my eyes as I was skimming through the newspaper yesterday. In the capital city of Kerala, a boy studying in the IXth standard along with an elderly person raped a 24 year old mentally challenged woman.
I was shocked to read about such criminal tendencies in seemingly innocent children.

Also, the alarming incident of a girl being pushed out of a train near Shornur and sexually abused mercilessly on the railway tracks sent shock waves of dread and fear among all women in our state recently.

Don’t these indicate that there is something wrong with our society?

Let me share with you some statistics that I stumbled upon.
Around 546 rape cases have been registered in the first 4 months of 2011 as against to 617 cases reported in the whole of 2010.
Another distressing report revealed that a total of 132 incest rape cases have been reported in Kerala. This is the maximum number reported in a state in South India; and the 5^th highest in the country.
If this is the current trend in the most literate state of India; I fear to think about the plight of women in the other states.

I want God’s own country to remain so forever.  What about you?

Let us join hands in strongly condemning such acts of violence against women;
 as I believe that everything under this sun is possible if we all stand together united for a common cause.

A thought

Trivandrum

15-03-1992

Dear Ammu,

You looked totally fabulous yesterday; in your powder blue sari with the green border having leaf-shaped motifs all over it; your long thick hair neatly plaited right up-to the bottom; and those tiny tear shaped earrings were going absolutely with your sari. I even noticed that you had worn alternating green and blue bangles in your right hand; while a watch was strapped around your left wrist.

I remember thinking that, that was an extremely sensible thing for a girl to do.

 Oh Well ! I guess I am rambling now.

But I guess you get my point. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you from the time I set my eyes on you; God's most beautiful creation till date.

I love you Ammu; and I mean it. Even if you weren't exactly Ms.Gorgeous; I would still love you.

And, am not very bad myself, you know, I completed my engineering from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum last year and am all set to join Tata Steel in the coming May. I am a guitarist and was the lead singer of the music troupe in our college.

I shall be waiting for you in front of the Thycaud Shastha Kovil today evening.

My heart tells me that you will definitely come.

Yours lovingly,

Ravi

Ammu smiled to herself as she read through Ravi’s letter which had been lying at her doorstep along with a bunch of roses that day morning. Her heart welled up with joy at the thought that she would be meeting her beloved that day.

28-Feb-2012

But today, can we still claim that love has not lost its beauty and innocence? Now, love comes with a lot of conditions and certain pre-requisites; reminding you of a business contract. Religion assumes number one priority, followed by family status and looks. And if there is space for a fourth priority, compatibility and character jostle for space here.

I am not saying that this is becoming the norm in all cases; but unfortunately, it is, in the majority.

Most relationships, these days, happen over Skype, Facebook and the like; and may continue over phone calls and messages.

 Isn’t meeting and talking face to face not important anymore?

I hope love doesn’t lose whatever genuinity it has now.

Adiós por ahora